distinctly californian

T h e M a g a z i n e o f S a n D i e g o S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y S u m m e r 2 0 1 8

Distinctly CalifornianSDSU President Adela de la Torre

everyone involved wins, including faculty,

staff, and the community at large.

To that end, I encourage you to read about

our vision for SDSU Mission Valley and the

thoughtful process guiding our strategy

moving forward. This is a time to build

collaborative partnerships that will yield

unprecedented impact for the next 121

years and beyond. My hope is that you will

become informed

about our plan

by the story in

this issue.

I also hope that,

as you examine

your own trajec-

tory as an alum and

friend of San Diego

State, you will be

inspired by the sto-

ries highlighted in

these pages—from

the revolutionary

cancer research

taking place on

our campus, to

the stories of the

influential women

who shaped SDSU’s

success over the last 121 years, to the

remarkable individuals who will be honored

at this year’s Alumni Awards of Distinction.

This is indeed an exciting time to be

part of San Diego State University. I look

forward to getting to know many of you

and to learn about YOUR trajectory that

brought you to where you are today.

Here’s to a year of great partnerships

and fruitful collaboration!

FROM THE

PRESIDENT

Adela de la Torre

It’s been a busy few months since I was

announced as San Diego State University’s

ninth permanent president. I’ve been humbled

and honored to meet with students, faculty,

staff, donors, and leaders who are excited to

support the new chapter and trajectory of

San Diego State.

In the midst of a busy calendar, my husband,

Steve, our three dogs, and I arrived in

San Diego. While

unpacking the pre-

cious Mexican art

pieces and memen-

tos I’ve collected

over my years as a

citizen and scholar,

I was struck by the

thought that new

trajectories rarely

take us far from our

foundational roots.

I am still amazed that

my Mexican heritage

and my work as a

binational economist

have led me to San

Diego State, home

of the Aztecs. I look

forward to working

with the Aztec Culture Education Committee

and echo Sally Roush’s commitment: “We will

ensure that appropriate recognition of and

reverence for the greatness of the Aztec

civilization is infused into the daily life of

the university.”

As we move forward, student success will

continue to be a foundational force in what

we do at San Diego State. This approach will

yield global citizens, compassionate leaders,

and ethical innovators. When that happens

Photo: Lauren Radack

The Magazine of San Diego State University (ISSN 1543-7116) is published by SDSU Marketing & Communications and distributed to members of the SDSU Alumni Association, faculty, staff and friends.

SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY Adela de la Torre President

DIVISION OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS & DEVELOPMENTMary Ruth Carleton Vice President University Relations and Development Adrienne Vargas Associate Vice PresidentDevelopmentChristine HutchinsAssociate Vice PresidentChief Communications OfficerMarketing & CommunicationsDan MontoyaAssistant Vice PresidentSDSU AlumniJim HerrickAssistant Vice PresidentSpecial ProjectsChris LindmarkAssistant Vice PresidentCampaign, Presidential and Special Events

We welcome mail from our readers. 360 MagazineMarketing & Communications5500 Campanile DriveSan Diego CA 92182-8080E-mail: [email protected] Read 360 Magazine online at www.sdsu.edu/360Periodical postage paid at San Diego, CAVolume 25, No. 2, copyright 2018San Diego State UniversityCirculation: 60,000

Postmaster: Send address changes to:San Diego State University5500 Campanile DriveSan Diego CA [email protected]

Opinions expressed in 360 Magazine are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the university administration nor those of The California State University Board of Trustees.

2017 gold medal winner, Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)

Editor: Coleen L. GeraghtyAssociate Editor: Michael PriceContributors: Jeff Ristine, Tobin VaughnArt Director: Lori Padelford ’83Graphic Design: John Signer ’82

FEATURES

12

14

DEPARTMENTS

10 A VISION FOR THE VALLEYBy partnering outside the university, SDSU will have even

more to offer the region.

12 AZTEC FOR LIFE: WHAT IT MEANS NOWA new initiative to build respect for Aztec culture is taking

root at SDSU this year.

14 ZOOMING OUT ON CANCEREthnic and socioeconomic disparities often play into cancer

screening and treatment.

16 DISTINCTLY CALIFORNIANSDSU’s new president is intimately familiar with the state’s

higher education system.

20 WOMEN WHO SHAPED SDSUSince 1897, strong, accomplished women have helped chart

the university’s course.

4 COMPASSNews from campus

8 HORIZONSHigh-Stakes Virus Hunters

22 AZTECS IN MOTIONIt’s All About Heart

24 GIVING BACKAbove and Beyond

26 ALUMNI ANGLESAlumni Awards of Distinction

30 In Memoriam

10

22

C o m p a s s

A balanced approachTo understand and quantify what

goes wrong when people suffer

from balance disorders, researchers

must first understand what normal

balance looks like in healthy people.

Taking a huge step in that direc-

tion, a team including San Diego

State University neuromechanics

researcher Harsimran “Sim” Baweja

recently published the largest-ever

comprehensive database of norma-

tive balance.

The massive study took a measure-

ment called “postural sway” from

more than 16,000 people in the

United States and Canada, ages 5

to 100. The large swaths of data

will determine an average sway

score, which will assist in diagnosing

abnormal balance. This information,

Baweja said, could help identify who

is most at risk for suffering a fall or a

balance-related impairment.

s

4 SUMMER 2018 | sdsu.edu/360

Wings over CaliforniaThe California condor is one of the

most famous success stories in spe-

cies conservation, having rebounded

from such threats as lead poisioning

and poaching that saw its known

population in the wild drop as low as

27. But there’s a new worrying trend:

Condors living in coastal environ-

ments have fewer successful hatch-

ings than those living farther inland.

Two San Diego State researchers,

environmental scientist Eunha Hoh

and analytic chemist Nathan Dodder,

are participating in a study of envi-

ronmental toxicants that could be to

blame for thinner condor eggshells.

Together with conservationists

from the San Diego Zoo, they are

scanning the chemical compositions

of dead marine mammals—condor

cuisine—that have washed up along

the California and Baja California

coasts. They’ll compare those results

to chemical analyses of blood

sampled from condors, looking for

eggshell-thinning chemicals.

Pines in perilPinyon pine trees thrive at dry,

low elevations, forming enormous

woodlands across the American

Southwest. Yet climate change could

prove too much for even these hardy

trees to handle.

In a recent study, San Diego State

University evolutionary ecologist

Lluvia Flores-Rentería discovered that

pinyon pine pollen found at lower ele-

vations becomes unviable at temper-

atures just five degrees Celsius higher

than average—a rise that’s in line with

many climate model predictions.

In some areas, that could mean

local extinction of this ecologically

important species.

[email protected] | 360 MAGAZINE 5

C o m p a s s

Robot lie detectorA checkpoint system that can tell when you’re curl-

ing your toes may someday provide robotic assistance

for airport and border security screeners using a tool

developed by a San Diego State University manage-

ment information systems researcher.

Professor Aaron Elkins’ lie-detecting kiosk, called

AVATAR (Automated Virtual Agent for Truth

Assessments in Real Time) is now being tested in

labs and in Canada and Singapore. Using an animated

character, the device poses questions such as “Are

you carrying any weapons with you?” and then

examines the response for subtle changes that

suggests lying, including eye movement, vocal

modulation and tell-tale shifts in posture.

SUMMER 2018 | sdsu.edu/3606

C o m p a s s

validate indigenous knowledge and promote agricul-

tural careers. The work was conducted under a U.S.

Department of Agriculture grant.

After returning to San Diego, the students will

enlist others to help plant corn, beans and squash—

the “three sisters” of Native American agriculture—

in the College Area Community Garden adjoining

SDSU. Students will cultivate some plots using milpa

methods, and others using modern farming practices,

giving them a chance to learn about the advantages

and disadvantages of each method for cultivating in

the San Diego region.

Learning from OaxacaOld isn’t always outdated: San Diego State University

students lived and worked alongside Mixtec farmers

in Oaxaca, Mexico, this summer to learn a traditional

crop system used to grow corn, beans and squash for

possible application here.

Led by Ramona Pérez, professor of anthropology and

director of SDSU’s Center for Latin American Studies,

the eight students are part of a project to compare

and contrast the milpa system with modern industrial

agricultural practices, offering an opportunity to

World-class sports MBAFor a second consecutive year, San Diego State

University’s Sports Master of Business Administration

program was recognized as one of the best in the

world. Analysts at SportBusiness International ranked

SDSU’s program No. 7 globally and at the top among

universities in the western United States. In addition,

SDSU’s program ranked No. 1 in the world for student/

alumni satisfaction, as well as for providing students

with the “most useful” education.

Alumni have been key to the program’s success.

Graduates regularly mentor current students, return

to campus to lecture about real-world scenarios,

and occasionally invite students to work on proposals

for their organizations.

Adam Day (’91) was elected chair of the California State

University Board of Trustees for 2018-19 and officially

took the gavel at its July 24-25 meeting in Long Beach.

He had served as vice chair for the two previous years.

The 23-campus CSU system,

which includes San Diego

State University, is the

largest four-year public

university system in the

United States.

Day is the son of

Thomas B. Day, SDSU’s

sixth president from 1978

to 1996. He is chief admin-

istrative officer for the

Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay

Nation, helping to oversee the

management and operation of more than 12 tribal

government departments including police, fire, medical,

education and community development. He also directs

government, public and community relations on behalf

of the Sycuan Tribe.

Several signifi-

cant issues face

the CSU board

in the next few

years, among

them working with the state to achieve long-term stable

funding; addressing a backlog of more than $2 billion

in deferred maintenance; closing student achievement

gaps; and improving tenure density.

In addition, Day plans to place special emphasis on the

mental and behavioral health needs of students, faculty

and staff.

“It is a tremendous honor to serve as the chair of such

an esteemed institution, and I am humbled by the vote

of confidence of my colleagues,” Day said.

“I look forward to continuing our collective progress on

graduation rates, affordability and access to a high qual-

ity education, resulting in an impactful degree. The CSU

is well positioned for continued growth and success.”


Proof Positive That Leadership Starts Here

Chase Whittaker’s

study abroad expe-

rience in southern

Africa last year

was a transforma-

tive one for him

and for hundreds of other lives as well. San Diego State

University recognized this determination to make a

difference by awarding Whittaker its 2018 Zahn Spirit

of Innovation Award, given to a graduating senior for

exceptional entrepreneurial achievement.

Whittaker, (’18), traveled to Zambia last summer and

taught kindergarten for a month in Livingstone. On his

last day, the kids sang him a goodbye song. Several

burst into tears.

And Whittaker felt changed. “Seeing a country full of

people in need, yet with the brightest, warmest and

most welcoming personalities I’ve ever encountered…

impacted me in a way I can hardly describe.”

After returning home, Whittaker launched an interna-

tional charity organization, SanD/Stone Initiative, to

provide education and public health interventions and

aid for vulnerable populations in

Zambia, the United States

and Mexico.

Its intentionally broad

mission has funded edu-

cation and children’s play

equipment in Zambia

and installed windows at

an extreme low-income

school. It has delivered

hygiene and self-care items

to the San Diego homeless

population and clothing to Crisis

House, an emergency resource

center in East County. It also provided clothing, cleaning

supplies and other goods to a Tijuana orphanage.

Whittaker will enter the Accelerated Paralegal Program

at the University of California, San Diego. He hopes to

attend law school and specialize in international human

rights law, civil rights/liberties, or immigration.

(It) impacted me in a way I can hardly describe.

The CSU is well posi-tioned for continued growth and success.


H o r i zo n s

High-Stakes Virus Hunters. Virologists at SDSU are changing the way scientists seek out new therapeutic microbes. B y M i c h a e l P r i c e

Viruses are the most abundant microbes on earth. These parasites infect all

known types of life, replicating inside the cells of their hosts by hijacking

their genetic machinery to spit out new versions of themselves.

Despite their ubiquity, viruses are incredibly difficult for scientists to locate

and positively identify. But biocomputational techniques being pioneered

at San Diego State University could usher in a new era of virus hunting,

spotlighting these elusive microbes and harnessing their power to improve

human health.

One promising new technique is known as “cross-assembly,” and it’s the

brainchild of SDSU bioinformatics professor Rob Edwards. Traditionally,

virologists have tried to isolate and cultivate viruses in the lab in order to

identify them. But that works only if you can grow their hosts in a lab

setting. Viruses known as bacteriophages replicate solely inside bacteria,

and many bacteria are incredibly difficult to grow in a petri dish.

S k i p t h e p e t r i d i S h

Edwards devised a possible solution—skip the petri dish and go directly to

the source: the viruses’ DNA and RNA. He partnered with microbe experts

from SDSU virology virtuoso Forest Rohwer’s lab to teach computer soft-

ware to sift through the millions of permutations of guanine, cytosine, ade-

nine and thymine—the nucleic acids that bond to form our genetic code—

and sort out the known microbes from the unknown ones.

They hit pay dirt in 2014 when they ran fecal samples from a dozen indi-

viduals through their cross-assembly program and noticed what looked like

a novel virus buried in the DNA, about 97,000 base pairs of nucleic acid.

Intrigued, they screened a worldwide dataset of fecal samples and found

this newly discovered virus—which they named crAssphage, after the cross-

assembly software—in more than three-quarters of the human population.


“It’s not unusual to go looking for a novel virus and find one,”

Edwards said. “But it’s very unusual to find one that so many people

have in common.”

Last summer, Edwards’ colleague Anca Segall, a microbiologist at SDSU

and a co-founder of the university’s Viral Information Institute (VII), took

a sabbatical to work in the lab of Eugene Koonin, a renowned genetics

researcher at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)

in Bethesda, Md.

Koonin’s lab focuses on the evolution of protein families, mostly look-

ing at viruses that have already been discovered. When Segall described

Edwards’ technique for hunting new viruses, Koonin was surprised and

intrigued.

“These guys all go to meetings, but not the same meetings,” Segall said.

“They are steeped in their own approaches. So this kind of matchmaking

is extremely important to get people to compare notes.”

M a t c h M a k i n g i n t h e l a b

Koonin invited Edwards to come to the NCBI and give a seminar on

crAssphage and the cross-assembly technique. His lab took Edwards’

findings and ran with them. They pinned down crAssphage’s protein

fingerprints and sifted through microbial samples, not just in human

guts, but from environmental samples around the world. Last year, they

announced in a Nature Microbiology paper that crAssphage and viruses

a lot like it are incredibly abundant in nature.

“The discovery of crAssphage … is arguably one of the most striking

feats of metagenomics to date,” wrote Koonin in a companion article

to the paper.

Yet for all that, nobody is sure exactly what crAssphage does in the

human gut or elsewhere, whether it’s helpful, harmful or completely

benign. While finding viruses has become easier thanks to cross-

assembly, ultimately the goal for researchers in the VII is to find ways

to harness viruses to fight off deadly bacteria—a kind of backup to

traditional antibiotics and a safeguard against antibiotic resistance.

To that end, they are training a whole new generation of virus hunters to

seek out new viruses. Last year Edwards debuted a new course at SDSU,

“Biology 499: Microbial Metagenomics Discovery Challenge,” to teach

students cross-assembly and other viral discovery techniques and to look

for signs of therapeutic potential in new microbes.

“It was probably my favorite class of my entire undergraduate career,”

said recent graduate Melissa Giluso, who took the course. “It teaches you

to refine your questions and to troubleshoot your own problems.”

10 SUMMER 2018 | sdsu.edu/360 I l lustrat ion: Linda Nye

[email protected] | 360 MAGAZINE

The 121-year synergy

between San Diego

and San Diego State

University has been

strong and fruitful.

Since its earliest days

as a college found-

ed to prepare the

region’s educators,

the institution took

on the mantle of San

Diego’s university.

Today, SDSU’s

low- and no-cost

clinical services, community outreach, internship programs,

alumni hiring networks and joint artistic endeavors con-

tinue to underscore that connection. Not to mention the

200,000-plus alumni who live in the region.

SDSU’s plan for a Mission Valley campus would intensify

the university’s solid relationships with San Diego and

greatly expand its capacity to address today’s critical

problems. The plan would also cement SDSU’s role as an

innovator in promoting entrepreneurship on campus and

working with private and government partners to develop

new avenues of research and technology.

SDSU has several objectives for a Mission Valley campus,

should it have the opportunity to purchase the city-

owned site where SDCCU stadium now stands. The uni-

versity would pay fair market value for the land; build a

world-class innovation and research campus; build and

maintain a river park; build a multiuse stadium for NCAA

football, professional soccer and community events; and

partner in the construction of affordable and market-rate

housing for students, faculty, staff and the general public.

Additionally, an SDSU campus in Mission Valley would

have public-private and public-public partnerships built

into its DNA, brewing up a potent mix of intellectual

expertise, technical know-how, community engagement,

and entrepreneurial boldness, said Stephen Welter, vice

president for research and dean of Graduate Affairs.

“Partnering outside the university gives students and

faculty access to San Diego’s best minds, who are

focused on problem-solving, and whose work powers

the region,” he said.

From the ground up, SDSU would join with local com-

panies and agencies to develop the new campus, which

would connect to the main campus via a quick trolley

ride. With financially secure partners helping to capitalize

the development, the university will not rely on taxpayer

dollars to build

out SDSU Mission

Valley, but instead

on strategic pri-

vate partners

eager to work with

SDSU’s students

and researchers.

It’s a vision SDSU

officials witnessed

firsthand during

a recent field trip

to Atlanta, where

Georgia Tech has

completed campus extensions that enhanced its ties to the

community and private industry.

Georgia Tech’s Technology Square is a multi-block

development in Atlanta’s Midtown neighborhood.

Anchored by university-owned buildings and leased

to carefully selected companies—mostly from the

tech and entrepreneurial sectors—Technology Square

reinvigorated the community when it was built in 2003.

There, partners and tenants like Home Depot, Delta Airlines

and Panasonic benefit from working next door to world-

class scientists and engineers. In turn, they offer internships

and hiring opportunities to Georgia Tech students, and

collaborate with researchers on projects co-funded by

private and public grants.

In Mission Valley, SDSU hopes to build a similar entrepre-

neurial ecosystem. San Diego is home to countless innova-

tive companies and non-profits not only in the tech sphere,

but also in manufacturing, clinical services, environmental

planning and biomedical diagnostics. With these compa-

nies as development partners, SDSU students would ben-

efit from expanded internships and career opportunities.

In turn, businesses, non-profits and government agencies

would get to plug into the university’s knowledge base.

“The co-location of SDSU’s intellectual capital with their

enterprise allows for the direct flow of ideas, which benefits

both sides of the relationship,” Welter said.

The San Diego region is hungry to team up with intellectual

partners, he said, and to that end, the university is commit-

ted to fostering a sense of entrepreneurship, engagement,

and adventure in its faculty and students.

“We are creating a culture of openness to these kinds

of partnerships,” Welter said. “We’re training our students

to think differently, and encouraging our faculty to think

entrepreneurially.”

B y M i c h a e l P r i c e

for the VALLEYA VISIONBy pa r tne r ing ou ts ide the un i ve rs i t y, SDSU w i l l

h ave eve n m o re to o f f e r t h e re g i o n .

I l lustrat ion: Linda Nye


One sure harbinger of the fall semester at San Diego State University is the build-up to Templo del Sol, an annual rite of pas-sage for new students. This symbolic event takes its name from ceremonies associated with the Aztec Pyramid of the Sun.

Orchestrated by SDSU Alumni, Student

Affairs and student leaders, Templo del

Sol introduces new freshman and trans-

fer students to campus traditions and

marks their first official day as Aztecs.

This year's new students will be better

prepared than ever to honor the Aztec

identity. From the moment they step

foot on campus for orientation, they'll

begin to learn about the indigenous

culture whose name SDSU has carried

for decades.

Information provided throughout new

student orientation to students and

their parents includes historically based

knowledge about the Aztec civilization,

including its language, compulsory edu-

cation system, calendars, engineering

skills and literary prowess.

What it Means NowAztec for Life:


By the time these students graduate,

their Aztec pride will be grounded in

respect and knowledge of a mighty

Mesoamerican culture.

Foundation of respect

Leading the education initiative is a

group of students, faculty, staff and

alumni known as the Aztec Culture

Education Committee (ACEC). Former

SDSU president Sally Roush recon-

vened the committee as part of her

May 17 decision to retain both the

Aztec name and the Aztec Warrior

as SDSU’s spirit leader.

Roush’s decision followed three

months of work by the ad hoc Aztec

Identity Task Force. Their deliberations

were informed by a deep dive into

the history of Aztec culture and the

results of a survey sent to more than

200,000 constituents, who advocated

overwhelmingly for retaining the

Aztec identity.

“One consistent, overarching

message was conveyed in a loud

and clear voice: Respect, genuinely

intended and executed, must be

the foundation of our actions going

forward,” Roush said at a meeting

of the University Senate, during

which she shared the task force’s

recommendations and her decisions.

It’s a commitment the ACEC takes to

heart, said co-chairs Ramona Pérez

and Christy Samarkos. Pérez is a

professor of anthropology and

director of SDSU’s Center for Latin

American Studies (CLAS). Samarkos

is an associate vice president for

Student Affairs.

Educational moments

The 17-member committee is mov-

ing forward on two parallel paths.

The first honors the Aztec legacy by

giving students multiple avenues to

learn about its history, culture and

language. SDSU now offers instruc-

tion in Náhuatl, the language of the

Aztecs that is the most spoken lan-

guage in Mexico after Spanish, as

well as instruction in the indigenous

languages of Mixteco and Zapoteco.

The ACEC’s second path deliberately

aims to include local indigenous

people in SDSU’s significant events,

such as commencement and convo-

cation. Pérez and Samarkos noted

that this is not intended to conflate

the identities of local tribes with

Aztecs, but rather to underscore

SDSU’s commitment to inclusivity

of the many indigenous people who

impact SDSU.

“There will be many, many educa-

tional moments available in online

education programs, podcasts, live

lectures, arts events, and leadership

skills training relevant to the Aztecs

and the Náhua people,” Pérez said.

“Incorporating Aztec history and

Náhua culture into the academic

curriculum will be the prerogative of

individual faculty members.”

SDSU Athletics and SDSU Alumni are

partners in educational efforts, and

season ticket-holders will find “did

you know” facts about the Aztec

culture included with their tickets.

For example, “Did you know that

the combination of red and black

in Aztec culture signified literacy and

education?” and “Did you know that

the three pillars of the Aztec Empire

were knowledge, strength and

prowess, and giving back to the

community?”

Serious issue

Roush’s charge—to embrace the Aztec

identity with respect—is a responsibil-

ity ACEC members take seriously, and

none more so than the students.

Committee member Michael Wiafe,

who is also vice president of external

relations for Associated Students

(AS), believes the university is in a

unique position at this moment to

educate the SDSU community about

Aztec culture.

"Associated Students understands the

seriousness of this issue," he said. "As

the decison has been made to retain

the identity, there has to be respect

and education."

—Coleen L. Geraghty


ZoomingOut on Cancer

For anyone touched by cancer—whether it’s their own illness or that of a loved one—the disease can feel intimately personal and private. Yet there’s an imper-sonal side to the sickness that extends beyond the walls of any single doctor’s office. There are statistics dictating which communi-ties are at risk for developing certain types of cancers, and ethnic and socioeconomic disparities that play into who is likely to get screened, access care and stick with treatment plans.

Merging population-level risks and outcomes with the highly individual experience of the disease is the job of several researchers within San Diego State University’s School of Public Health. Here, we highlight three such scientists looking at cancer through a public health lens.

Populations at Risk

“Eventually I realized I wanted to know more about what causes people to get cancer in the first place, so I moved to public health.” - Caroline Thompson

“We know that screening rates and treatment for Latinos and other underserved groups are suboptimal.” - Elva Arredondo

B y M i c h a e l P r i c e

The desire to look at cancer from all

angles drove SDSU epidemiologist

Caroline Thompson into the public

health field. Before she was trained as

a cancer epidemiologist, she managed

and analyzed data for oncology clinical

trials in the pharmaceutical industry.

“We were basically asking, ‘Is this med-

icine working?’” recalled Thompson.

“Eventually I realized I wanted to know

more about what causes people to get

cancer in the first place, so I moved to

public health.”

At SDSU, Thompson studies demo-

graphic disparities in cancer diagnoses.

She specializes in understanding

cancer risk in Asian Americans, who

make up more than 10 percent of San

Diego County’s population.

For many years, health officials

tended to treat “Asian” as a single

race, neglecting the fact that Asian

ethnicities have several distinct, diverse

origins, she explained. As a result,

we’re just beginning to understand

the risk factors that could explain

why different Asian communities

are more prone to certain types

of cancer.

One prong of Thompson’s work

looks at infectious causes for cancer.

For example, hepatitis B and C viruses

are a known risk factor for develop-

ing liver cancer, and the bacterium

Helicobacter pylori is known to increase

risk for stomach cancer. Both diseases

are disproportionately common in some

Asian countries, and understanding

why those risks persist in Asian

American communities is an active

area of research.


Understanding big-picture trends

in clinical outcomes for cancer is as

important as any medical intervention,

said SDSU health services researcher

and epidemiologist Melody Schiaffino.

Her work examines the factors that

affect disease outcomes in vulner-

able populations, such as older adults,

those with dementia and people with

language barriers.

For example, she has found that if

a diagnosing doctor and primary

treatment doctor share patients, those

patients begin treatment more quickly,

usually resulting in better clinical

outcomes. And when it comes to

accessing treatment, public health

researchers can help link community

services with people who might

otherwise be on their own when it

comes to dealing with the disease,

Schiaffino added.

“More and more people are dealing

with cancer alone,” she said. “Public

health has a major role to play in

making all the necessary connections

between patients, doctors and their

communities.”

Big Data Means Better

Outcomes

“More and more people are dealing with cancer alone. - Melody Schiaffino

Screening Saves Lives

Compared to other groups, Latino

populations are at a heightened risk of

dying from colorectal cancer—though

they aren’t necessarily any more likely

to be diagnosed with the disease,

explained SDSU clinical behavioral

scientist Elva Arredondo. Instead,

Latinos are less likely to receive regu-

lar colorectal cancer screenings, as

well as basic care and follow-up treat-

ments compared to other groups.

“We know that screening rates and

treatment for Latinos and other

underserved groups are suboptimal,”

she said.

To target problems related to

cancer risk and treatment disparities,

in 2015 SDSU teamed up with UCSD

to form the SDSU-UCSD Moores

Cancer Center Partnership, funded

by a multimillion dollar grant from

the National Cancer Institute.

Arredondo serves as SDSU’s lead

principal investigator on the project.

The partnership involves many fac-

ulty and staff at SDSU and dozens of

SDSU undergraduate and graduate

students who work in labs at both

universities.

The program is designed to boost

the diversity of cancer researchers

and expose young scientists to a

variety of cancer research careers.

In addition, partnership researchers

take what they learn out into the

communities of San Diego and

the Imperial Valley, focusing not

just on awareness of cancer risks

for Latinos, but also establishing

programs that guide people to

screening services and giving clinics

the extra support they need to

interact more effectively with their

communities.

Photos: Sandy Huffaker Jr.SUMMER 2018 | sdsu.edu/36016

Photos: Sandy Huffaker Jr.

For as long as Adela de la Torre

can remember, her grandmother’s

home in Northern California was

open to friends, neighbors and

relatives who wanted to visit or

needed a helping hand. The

family shared everything they

had—meals, funny stories, strong

opinions and sometimes, a bed.

It’s a lesson that stuck as de la Torre navi-

gated through a career notable for academic

collaboration, interdisciplinary research and,

most recently, shared governance during six

years as vice chancellor of Student Affairs

and Campus Diversity at the University of

California, Davis.

The word "collaborative" arises when friends

and colleagues describe de la Torre. Also

"compassionate," "strategic," visionary" and

"energetic"—qualities highly prized by the

selection committee of educators, faculty,

students and community members whose

recommendation led to her appointment

as San Diego State University’s ninth

permanent president.

“From the beginning of the selection process

Adela stood out head and shoulders,” recalled

Adam Day (’91), the committee chair and cur-

rently chair of the California State University

Board of Trustees. “She blew us away.”

Core values

De la Torre’s personal story is distinctly

Californian. Her grandparents emigrated

from Zacatecas, Mexico, to California’s

Central Valley, where de la Torre’s mother

grew up. By the time Adela was born in 1956,

the family had moved to the Oakland/

Berkeley area.

De la Torre’s mother—a single parent—

earned a degree from the University of

California, Berkeley. While she supported

the family as a public school teacher, de la

Torre’s grandmother reinforced “the value

of our Mexican heritage” and the power of

education.

“One of the things that’s important to

understand about me is that I was raised

in a single-head-of-household family,”

de la Torre said. “It was a journey for (my

mother), as well as for me, to achieve the

success we have had, and I was very for-

tunate to have a mother and grandmother

who instilled those core values in me. They

prepared me to appreciate the bicultural,

bilingual environment we live in.”

De la Torre’s own nuclear family reflects

the multiracial diversity of both California

and her new campus. Her husband

Stephen Bartlett, a retired public health

nutritionist, is Anglo. They raised two

daughters, Gabriela de la Torre and Adela

Hart, whose husband is African-American.

And there’s grandson Javier, 3, who de la

Torre describes as “the love of my life.”

Endless energy

Not only is de la Torre well versed

in California’s rich cultural heritage,

she is also intimately familiar with

the state’s higher education system.

A product of UC Berkeley, she earned

a bachelor’s degree in the political

economy of natural resources, and a

master’s degree and Ph.D. in agricultural

and resource economics. After eight years

at California State University Long Beach,

where she was a professor of health care

SDSU’s new pres ident is in t imate ly fami l ia r wi th the s ta te ’s h igher educat ion system.B y C o l e e n L . G e r a g h t y

Distinctly Californian



An economist and an advocateadministration and chair of the Chicano/

Latino studies department, she joined

the University of Arizona. She became

director of its Mexican American Studies

and Research Center and founded the

College of Medicine’s first federally funded

Hispanic Center of Excellence.

De la Torre returned to California in

2002 in the Chicana/Chicano studies

department at UC Davis. She became

department chair and director of the

UC Davis Center for Transnational

Health. For 14 years, de la Torre led

the center’s research and intervention

efforts to address education and

health disparities.

She was the principal investigator for

a five-year, $5 million National Science

Foundation grant aimed at reducing child-

hood obesity through nutrition instruction,

physical education and direct aid to fami-

lies for the purchase of fresh fruits and

vegetables. De la Torre shared her exper-

tise with a team of 15-20 graduate stu-

dents, doctoral candidates and postdoc-

toral reseachers plus 70-80 undergraduate

student volunteers. Together, their work

touched 800 children from 600 families

in California’s Central Valley.

“That experience was the foundation

of my skills,” said Rosa Gomez-Camacho,

a postdoc at the time and now associ-

ate director for institutional research at

Florida Gulf Coast University.

“Adela was highly successful as a

researcher and at winning grants. I learned

so much from watching her interact with

different stakeholders and create net-

works with enormous vision and respect

for people. She has endless energy,

generosity and humanity.”

De la Torre generated more than $19

million in external funding to support

educational outreach, recruitment, health

education and training programs during

her time at UC Davis. In recognition of her

contributions, the university awarded her

the title of distinguished professor, the

first Latina in the university’s history to

receive that honor.

“We felt her commitment”

As vice chancellor, de la Torre also found

new ways to connect longtime and future

Aggies. Enrollment of Mexican American

students increased at UC Davis after the

campus ramped up outreach efforts to

high schoolers of Mexican heritage. Eager

to support these first-generation college

students both academically and culturally,

de la Torre helped to resurrect the Chicanx

Latinx Alumni chapter. Caroline Cabias was

one of her partners in the effort.

“Adela helped articulate what an alumni

association can do to support students

with mentoring and scholarships,” said

Cabias, the chapter leader. “She had a

vision of how to move forward and a strat-

egy to bring people together. Her support

and guidance motivated our chapter to

raise funds and award six scholarships—

all in the space of three months.”

De la Torre’s ability to engage all UC

Davis constituents was key to her

popularity as vice chancellor. She earned

a reputation for minimizing campus

Adela de la Torre meeting with faculty and staff on her f i rst of f ic ial day as SDSU president.

Adela has a great capacity for truly listen-ing and engaging with people. She is able to articulate not only her understanding of this campus, but also her vision for for deepen-ing roots with Imperial County and partnering with universities across the border.” - Adam Day (’91)CSU Board of Trustees chair

Chief administrative officer Sycuan Band of theKumeyaay Nation

What people are saying about Adela de la Torre:

tensions, particularly during student

protests triggered by incidents of

violence against African Americans across

the country. UC Davis staff said de la

Torre is equally as adept at finding part-

ners to defuse conflict as she is at

collaborating on research projects.

“The SDSU community should know that

she has no reservations about reaching

out and asking for help. She doesn’t see

that as a negative,” Cabias said. “Adela

looks for broad input from a variety of

audiences, because she understands that

a person cannot get things done alone.”

Looking ahead

De la Torre is settling into the President’s

Office at a time of transition for SDSU.

Her predecessor, Sally Roush, resolved

several important issues before she

left, including an impassioned debate

about the university’s Aztec identity. In

deciding to retain both the Aztec name

and the Aztec Warrior as spirit leader,

Roush declared the Aztec identity will

be portrayed with greater respect going

forward. She called for the creation of a

governing body to be chaired by the new

president and address issues related to

the ethical and fiduciary responsibility

of carrying the Aztec name.

Roush also reconvened the Aztec Culture

Education Committee and charged its

members with implementing co-curricular

programming related to Aztec history

and culture. In addition, members will

be tasked with recommending ways

to meaningfully include local Native

American tribes in SDSU’s significant

functions and annual ceremonial events,

such as All-University Convocation and

Commencement (See story on page 12.)

On the budgetary front, SDSU’s financial

stability has been reinforced by the suc-

cess of its first comprehensive fundraising

campaign, which raised $815 million to

support students, faculty and program-

ming. De la Torre will be expected to

launch a second campaign within the

next few years and involve even greater

numbers of alumni in the shared effort.

The new president has emphatically

supported Roush’s plan to address the

university’s long-term expansion goals.

SDSU Mission Valley is a detailed plan and

vision for the land including and immedi-

ately surrounding SDCCU Stadium. (See

story on page 10.)

If allowed to purchase the land at

fair market value, SDSU will build a

world-class research and innovation

campus and a 35,000-seat stadium for

football, professional soccer and other

events. The university will also create

and maintain a 75-acre river park and

construct affordable and market-rate

housing for students, faculty, staff and

the public.

Championing this sweeping agenda,

de la Torre officially became the ninth

permanent president of SDSU on June 28,

a typically sunny San Diego summer day.

Squeezed into her first-day agenda

were meetings with Mayor Kevin

Faulconer, San Diego Padres executive

chair and co-owner Ron

Fowler, university fac-

ulty and staff representa-

tives, athletics coaches,

Associated Students

executives and members

of The Campanile

Foundation, SDSU’s

volunteer fundraisers.

Her message to the

community was direct and

collaborative: “I am deter-

mined to be really inclusive

and transparent and honest

as we go forward seeking

shared solutions.” The president meeting with high school students vis i t ing SDSU from Mt. San Jacinto’s Upward Bound program.

What impressed me most is how focused and strategic she is. She identifies the long-term goal and then determines how to put short-term plans in place to get there. Her passion and compas-sion will make her a great proponent for the (SDSU) campus.”

- Caroline Cabias, UC Davis alumna and donor

Dr. de la Torre is a fantastic leader with enormous vision, gen-erosity and humanity. She is respectful, and she inspires people to work together.”

- Rosa Gomez-Camacho, associate director for institutional research at Florida Gulf Coast University

Adela is an energetic leader who cares deeply about students, their academic success and their well-being. She will bring a collabora-tive spirit, warmth and humor to her role as president of San Diego State University.” - Gary S. May, UC Davis chancellor

What people are saying about Adela de la Torre:



Nancy MarlinPresident Emeritus Stephen L.

Weber recruited Nancy Marlin as

SDSU’s first woman provost in 1998.

Together, they

charted a course

to transform SDSU

into a global uni-

versity by increasing

academic partner-

ships with non-U.S.

universities and

encouraging

students to have

international expe-

riences. Marlin’s

target of 30 percent

of undergraduates

studying abroad,

which once seemed

unreachable, is now a reality. SDSU

currently ranks No. 8 in the country

for the number of students who

study abroad annually. Marlin also

deserves credit for SDSU’s success

in significantly reducing not only the

time to graduation for all students,

but also the achievement gap for

underrepresented minority students.

Before she stepped down to rejoin

the faculty in 2014, Marlin worked to

establish SDSU Georgia, which offers

internationally accredited undergrad-

uate degrees in the STEM disciplines.

Sally RoushSally Roush was president of San Diego

State University for just under 12 months,

but her decisions will influence the uni-

versity for years to come. A universally

popular choice for president and

a familiar face on campus, Roush

served in the Division of Business

and Financial Affairs for 31 years,

including nearly two decades as

senior vice president. She oversaw

the university budget and inter-

collegiate athletics, had

a hand in every new

building and capital

project, and co-chaired

the steering committee

that guided development

of the strategic plan,

“Building on Excellence.”

As president for the 2017-

18 academic year, Roush began

the planning process for a cam-

pus expansion in Mission Valley

and—taking student, faculty,

alumni and community opinion

into account—determined that

the university will retain its

93-year-old Aztec identity.

“We will ensure that appropriate recog-

nition of and reverence for the greatness

of the Aztec civilization is infused into

the daily life of the university,” Roush

promised.

The transition from Sally Roush to Adela

de la Torre as the presi-dent of San Diego State University underscores the crucial role that women have played in the university’s history and evolution.

In the earliest

days of San Diego

Normal School,

women formed

the majority of the

student popula-

tion. Through the

decades, individual

women created new

areas of study, led

SDSU’s colleges as

academic deans and

managed the university’s research

and operational budgets. Of the

thousands of women who have

shaped SDSU over 12 decades,

these are among the most

influential.

Jane K. Smith

Jane K. Smith served for 40 years

as assistant vice president for

Academic Services, re-established the

Mortar Board chap-ter on campus and

co-created the SDSU Honors Council.

Sue earneSt

Sue Earnest co-founded San

Diego State’s speech and hearing clinic in

1950 and created the program

that evolved into SDSU’s top-ranked School of Speech,

Language and Hearing Sciences.

WomenWHO SHAPED SDSU


Vesta C. MuehleisenAn elementary school teacher trained

at San Diego Normal School, Vesta C.

Muehleisen remained active with her

alma mater in ways that resonate for

students and alumni today. She earned

her undergraduate degree in

1907 with the school’s eighth

graduating class. In 1927, San

Diego State Teachers College

President Edward L. Hardy

appointed her to a citizens

advisory council charged with

helping to find a new site for

the institution,

then located in

Normal Heights.

Two previous

site selections

had fizzled,

and the issue

was becoming

urgent. Muehleisen sup-

ported the selection of

a then-distant location

on a mesa overlooking

the east end of Mission

Valley and in May 1931,

she attended the ded-

ication ceremony for

the new campus. In that

same year, she founded the San Diego

State Alumni Association and became

its first president.

Women’s Studies FoundersIn 1970, San Diego State created the

first Women’s Studies program in higher

education in the United States. Student

Carol Rowell was determined to do some-

thing about the discrimination that she

saw pervading “every area of society.” Her

discussions with Joyce Nower, an English

professor, grew into much larger conscious-

ness-raising meetings with participants

on and off campus. A committee targeted

female faculty members to build support

for a new set of women-centered classes.

They were an immediate success, and a

Women’s Studies Program followed in fall

1970 with 10 classes marked by

student participation in planning

and decision-making.

Sexism and pushback against

unconventional teaching and

governance were opposing forc-

es from day one. Additionally,

the new program was rocked by

internal conflict and in 1974, the

entire faculty and staff resigned.

Without a break, the university

tapped Marilyn Baxter, who had

been hired to teach women’s

history, to chair a revamped and

more conventional program. It

expanded to a full academic

department in 1983 and added a master’s

program 13 years later.

Mary Ruth CarletonMary Ruth Carleton led The

Campaign for SDSU, the univer-

sity’s first comprehensive cam-

paign, which exceeded its goal

with a record $815 million raised

over 10 years. As vice president for

University Relations

and Development,

Carleton supervises

SDSU’s government

and community

relations efforts,

marketing and com-

munications, public

affairs and alumni

relations while serv-

ing in the SDSU

President’s Cabinet.

She is also presi-

dent and CEO of

The Campanile

Foundation, the board of influential

community leaders with responsi-

bility for guiding campaigns and

fundraising. Carleton’s significant

personal donations to SDSU benefit

academics, athletics and student

programming. Her leadership has

created a “culture of philanthropy”

that unites alumni, students, faculty,

staff and the San Diego community

in support of the university.

alvena Storm

An early authority on the geography of the American

West, Alvena Storm joined San Diego State in 1926 and

taught for 40 years. The west wing of

the social sciences building is named

in her honor.

Shirley Weber

Shirley Weber helped to establish the Department of Africana Studies in 1972 and taught at SDSU for 50 years. Now a California State Assembly

member, she is a passionate advocate

for closing the achievement gap.

WomenWHO SHAPED SDSU

B y J e f f R i s t i n e

It took Ashley Henderson more than a decade to come

to terms with her exceptional talent. She never really

believed the family members and coaches

who said she could excel as a sprinter.

In fact, 7-year-old Ashley dreaded

track meets, and even her teen-

age self slacked off at school,

hoping low grades would make

her ineligible to compete. (The

plan backfired when her mom

caught on.)

“I was the kid who had track

meets every weekend and trav-

eled all summer…to com-

pete at championships. I

never got a chance to

go to Disney World,

and hardly hung out

with my friends,”

she wrote in a

disarmingly honest

blog post published

earlier this year. “I

tried to force myself

to believe I didn’t

really hate track.”

Sometime between

Henderson’s enroll-

ment at San Diego State

University and her gradua-

tion in May 2018, the athlete


Aztecs in Motion

It’s All About Heart. Ashley Henderson

found the confidence to win as an SDSU

student-athlete.

Photo: NCAA Photos


who dreaded competitive running

began to relish it. The turnaround

began as early as Henderson’s fresh-

man year, when she earned second

place in the 200-meter sprint at the

Mountain West Indoor Championships

and a spot among SDSU’s all-time

fastest women.

“It was clear when we recruited Ashley

to SDSU that she had untapped tal-

ent,” said Shelia Burrell, Aztec track

and field head coach. “It was also clear

that she wasn’t a ‘track kid,’ meaning

that she didn’t really study the sport.

My assistant coach, Michelle Freeman,

spent a lot of time with Ashley and

coached her to a second place finish

at the 2016 NCAA championships. I

think that’s when Ashley finally began

to understand what everyone around

her had seen all along.”

National spotlight

As a sophomore, Henderson enjoyed

one of the best sprinting seasons in

program history, qualifying for the U.S.

Olympic Trials in both the 100-and

200-meter races; finishing a close sec-

ond in the 100 at the NCAA Outdoor

Track and Field Cham-pionships; and

earning the title of Mountain West

Outdoor Track & Field female Student-

Athlete of the Year.

Henderson capped off her collegiate

career with another outstanding year

in 2017-18. She became the first Aztec

to break the 11-second barrier in the

women’s 100-meter dash and ran a

personal best of 22.49 in the 200-

meter semi-final at the NCAA Outdoor

Championships. Although she under-

performed in the finals, she achieved

another school record and personal

best just weeks later—in the 100-meter

sprint at the U.S. Track and Field

Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

“The physical has always been there

for me, but not always the mental, the

belief that I could do it,” Henderson

admitted. “Everybody (at this level) is

fast. It’s all about who has the heart.”

SaBrina (Bre) White, Henderson’s

academic advisor at SDSU, said

she noticed gradual changes as the

sprinter moved into the national

spotlight. Henderson buckled down;

she avoided serious relationships

and social distractions.

“Ashley hasn’t let anything get in the

way of her goals,” White said. “She has

a big personality, good friends and

good relationships with her professors,

but she doesn’t have time for drama.”

On to Tokyo 2020

What Henderson did make time for is

building an Aztec network. She speaks

at donor events and works to form

relationships with SDSU alumni, who,

she said, “are passionate about helping

young scholars like myself succeed.”

Burrell confirmed White’s assessment

of Henderson as a team leader. “Like

many other athletes who have come

through our track and field program,

Ashley has grown and matured, and

I think her teammates are motivated

to achieve similar success,” Burrell

said. “I like to tell the team that this is

a legacy program. Leave your legacy

as an Aztec and make people ‘say

your name.’”

Henderson plans to continue training

with Burrell as she prepares for the

grueling road to the 2020 Olympic

Games in Tokyo. She had a great

start in July with a victory in the 100-

meter race at the Athletic World Cup

in London. In her international pro

debut, the once reluctant runner beat

Olympic title-holder Elaine Thompson

of Jamaica to become the reigning

world champion.

—Coleen L. Geraghty

Most Outstanding Performer 2016, 2017, 2018 Mountain West Outdoor Championships

2nd Place 200-Meter Dash Career Best & School Record 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships

Broke 11 seconds (10.98) 100-Meter Dash2018 Desert Heat Classic

12-time All-AmericanNine-time 1st teamThree-time 2nd team

2nd Place 100-Meter Dash Career Best & School Record 2018 U.S. Track & Field Championships

Ph

oto

: S

DS

U A

thle

tics

Photo: Jim Brady

Gifts from faculty and staff enhance the SDSU student experience.

Above and Beyond


Giving Back

he Campaign for SDSU finished with a bang in 2018,

but faculty and staff continue to support San Diego

State University with significant and generous gifts.

Over 10 percent of the $815 million raised during The

Campaign for SDSU came from university faculty and

staff. Not surprisingly, most give to support the students

and programs they work with every day.

Transformational experiences

Joyce Gattas is one of SDSU’s most generous donors

among faculty and staff. She has served as dean of the

College of Professional Studies

and Fine Arts (PSFA) for nearly

three decades after several years

in Faculty Advancement.

Her giving affords students the kinds

of transformational experiences—

such as study abroad and intern-

ships—that enrich their education.

“I love this university. I’ve devoted

my life to it, and I see the value of

the education students get at SDSU,”

Gattas said. “I want to provide them

with those extraordinary kinds of

experiences that add value to their

education and their own growth.”

As dean, Gattas has connected

SDSU to the community through

her involvement with San Diego

institutions. She has served on

numerous boards and committees,

including the San Diego Public

Library Foundation Board of

Trustees, the San Diego Commission

for Arts and Culture Advocacy Committee, the Balboa

Park Conservancy and the San Diego Women’s

Foundation.

She has also worked with alumni and friends of SDSU

to raise scholarship support for students whose

professional internships are not funded.

“I believe one of the pillars of PSFA is internships,” Gatas

said. “They really get to the core of these professional

disciplines.”

Scholarships for athletes

Ryan Donovan understands the importance of athletic

scholarships. Before he was head coach for the SDSU

men’s golf team, Donovan played for the Aztecs.

He was recruited on scholarship, but some of his team-

mates weren’t so lucky. Donovan’s planned gift will make

it possible for SDSU to offer more golf scholarships and

recruit better players.

“We want to be competing against the best programs in

the country, to say we had a piece of it,” said Donovan.

“Scholarships are an important part of winning national

championships.”

With Donovan as coach, the Aztecs have advanced to the

NCAA regionals every season with an active streak of 20

straight postseason bids. Two of his players—J.J. Spaun

and Xander Schauffele—are currently

on the PGA Tour.

Donovan is the type of coach who

knows his players well and keeps in

touch with them long after they leave

SDSU. He attends their weddings, writes

them professional references and even

hires some of them to be his assistant

coaches.

“The most important thing to remember

is where you came from and the oppor-

tunities you were given,” Donovan said.

“If you can return the favor by giving

back, that’s the best.”

Honoring family

Norah Shultz is a newcomer to SDSU.

She joined in 2016 as associate vice

president for the Division of Academic

Engagement and Student Achievement.

From the beginning, Shultz resolved to

support high-impact practices such as

service learning and international experiences for SDSU

students. The resolve became a plan when her husband

Jeff, who had accompanied her to San Diego, passed

away from side effects related to Parkinson’s disease

shortly after they arrived.

Jeff Shultz was an educational anthropologist and

former dean of international programs at Arcadia

University. He focused his research and publications

on sociolinguistics, multiculturalism, diversity and

internationalization in higher education.

“Jeff was student-centered. He was deeply involved in

social justice and worked to promote multiculturalism at

Arcadia, where he was recognized as a professor emeri-

tus,” Shultz said. “I know that creating the Jeff Shultz

Endowed Scholarship is a good way to honor him.”


“If you can return the favor by giving back,

that’s the best.

”

T

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President: Aron Getty, ’95President-elect: Angie Robert, ’04The Campanile Foundation Alumni Representative: Alan Dulgeroff, ’92Vice President of Professional Development:Chiloh Baty, ’08Vice President of Development: Chris Parks, ’92Vice President of Finance: Brad Adams, ’99Vice President of Partnerships: Cody Barbo ’12Vice President of Innovation: Jason Farran, ’00Vice President of Marketing: Duke Stewart, ’96Administrator: Andres Olivas

OTHER ELECTED ADVISORS: Wade Aschbrenner, ’91; Risa Baron, ’91; Kelly Batten, ’98; Monica Berenter, ’80; Daniel Gomes, ’01; Hass Ibrahim, ’09; Sean Kilkenny, ’10; Martin Lang, ’97; Mark Mays, ’69; Charlotte Ochiqui, ’00; Allen Sliwa, ’04; Brian Slye, ’12; Justin Schlaefli, ’05; Stacey Wolfson, ’10

PAST PRESIDENTS: Liaison to Past Presidents: Leo Morales ’09 First President: 1931 Vesta MuehleisenFor a full listing of past presidents, visit:sdsualumni.org/pastpresidents NON-ELECTED ADVISORS: President: Adela de la Torre; Vice President, University Relations and Development: Mary Ruth Carleton; University Senate Chair: Marcie Bober-Michel; Associated Students President: Chris Thomas; Aztec Athletics: Morgan McSweeney SDSU ALUMNI STAFFAssistant Vice President, SDSU Alumni: Dan Montoya, ’04 Assistant Director, Alumni Engagement: Travis P. McCauley, ’07 SDSU Alumni Coordinator: Christy AndradeSDSU Alumni Coordinator: Andres OlivasAssistant Director, Affinity Groups: Dion Akers, ’08SDSU Fund Supervisor: Renee BaldoAssistant Director, Annual Fund, Stewardship & Membership: Cheryl LemoxCareer Development Liaison: Diane Barragan MarinCommunications Specialist: Tobin VaughnData Control Technician: Robin Breen RustDirector Development Technology: Tammy Blackburn, ’94, ’01Electronic Solicitation Assistant: TBDElectronic Solicitation Manager: Dan Majors, ’03Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center Coordinator: Adam Armolea, ’17, Armando Chavez, ’17Program Coordinator: Jen Ranallo


Class Notes1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s

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SDSU ALUMNI 2018 - 2019ALUMNI BOARD of ADVISORS

Alumni Ang les

Please send your news to the SDSU Alumni Association, [email protected]. | ★ = life member

’52 The Honorable Clifford J. Wallace ★ (economics) received the National Medal of Honor from the Daughters of the American Revolution.

’56 Ruth Schneider (management) was inducted into the USA National Shuffleboard Association Hall of Fame following the induction of her husband, Roland Schneider (’56), last year. They are the third married couple to accomplish this feat in the 60-year history of the association.

’68 Nancy Fitch (’71, MA history) is the 2018 recipient of California State University Fullerton’s Faculty Leadership in Collegial Governance Award.

’76 Martin McAllister (anthropology) received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for American Archaeology for his contributions to the protection of cultural resources.

’78 Karen (Pieroni) McPartland (graphic arts) is president and CEO of TSAC Engineering, which was named one of the 50 fastest-growing, women-owned companies by the Women Presidents’ Organization.

’80 Gayle Mestel (journalism), CEO of CCS/PR, received the “Anthony Vigil Award for Staying Power,” recognizing her agency’s 50 years in business.

’83 Melissa Aliotti (political science) joined dispute resolution services provider Judicate West as a neutral in Sacramento.

’84 Michael Neal ★ (’96, MS real estate) was inducted into the Homebuilding Hall of Fame. He is president and CEO of H.G. Fenton Company.

’89 Keith Flitner ★ (aerospace engineering) is senior vice president of sales and market development at Buy It Installed in Irvine, California.

’91 Jennifer Smith Cohen (physical education) received the Carolyn Helman Lichtenberg Crest Award from the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women. She is the University of Washington’s athletic director and one of only three women in that role for the Power Five Conferences.

’94 Elise Sanguinetti (political science), a founding partner at Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Torrijos, LLP, is president of the American Association for Justice.

’05 Patricia Loughrey (theatre arts) and Thomas Hodges ’12 (performance theatre) partnered to create the LGBTQA musical “Sonata 1962,” an official selection of the 2018 New York Musical Festival in New York.

’06 Lani Longacre (communication; ’17 EMBA) is chief mission delivery officer for Girl Scouts San Diego.


Thousands of Aztec alumni may already have spoken with new SDSU Alumni president Aron

Getty (’95) long before he became their official leader. As a student, Getty was a caller for San Diego State University’s Annual Fund, soliciting gifts to enhance the quality of education for students to come.

Although the appeals often were rejected and hang-ups were frequent, Getty described the job as “a great learning experience.” He said he enjoyed listening to alumni share stories of their days on campus, which he knew would make them smile.

“It sounds funny, but you can actually hear somebody smiling on the phone,” he said. “If you get them to that point, the rest of the conversation becomes a lot easier.”

Through that role, Getty made connec-tions that eventually would help him land his first professional position. He’s been devoted to expanding his Aztec network ever since.

In a ceremony at the June 6 SDSU Alumni Advisory Board meeting, Getty was symbolically handed the president’s gavel by Leo Morales (’09), the immedi-ate past president. Additionally, Wade

Aschbrenner (’91), Hassan Ibrahim (’09), and Brian Slye (’12) were elected as new members who, like Getty, assumed their terms July 1.

A partner with the accounting firm Considine & Considine, Getty, 44, has served on the board the past six years. He and his wife, Secorra (’94), are SDSU Alumni lifetime members.

The couple met when both were students. They have two daughters, Isabella, 15, and Madelyn, 12, who enjoy attending SDSU athletics events with their parents.

Getty said SDSU helped him learn to be responsible and taught him invalu-able career skills, which is part of the reason why he remains actively involved with the university. “I grew up here and I learned so much,” he explained. “San Diego State helped me grow a group of friends I am still in contact with today; it helped me meet my wife, and now I have my kids, so SDSU has given me everything.”

The new president describes himself as a “silent leader,” who prefers coalition-building to spotlight-grabbing. “I have an idea of what I want to do, and I will be very collabora-tive working with the people around me to make sure we are all on the same page,” he said.

That’s in line with Getty’s analytical, CPA-style approach to challenges. He said he first suspected he had a true gift for numbers in a high school bookkeeping class, where the teacher assigned a project intended to last a

couple of months. He completed it in a couple of days.

“I understood it intuitively,” Getty recalled. “The numbers aspect of it kind of spoke to me as a language.”

But the real joy he derives from his career is helping and getting to know his clients—the same thing he likes about working with the alumni board and serving the university. Getty said his goals for the coming year include adopting “something from a career services standpoint for alumni” and working toward helping alumni better understand SDSU’s Mission Valley plan.

“I think the university is probably in the best position it has been in since I have been around it,” said the onetime phone solicitor. “It continues to grow; it’s rec-ognized more from a national perspec-tive; it’s tougher to get in and just keeps getting better.

“When people see the numbers, there’s more pride in being an Aztec, which makes it easier for us to reach out to our alumni and interest them in having that conversation with us.”

All of which brings a welcome change to those donor calls as well.

“As a student I did have a lot of hang-ups,” he said, “but they’re not hanging up on us so much anymore.”

—Tobin Vaughn

Fewer Hang-ups These DaysAron Getty (’95), the new leader of SDSU Alumni, was once a caller for the Annual Fund.

“San Diego State helped me grow a group of friends I am still in contact with today.”

College of Health and Human ServicesDiane Takvorian Diane Takvorian, (’74, psychology;

’76, M.A. social work), California

Air Resources Board member and

co-founder and executive director

of the San Diego/Tijuana Region’s

Environmental Health Coalition (EHC),

has significantly impacted the areas of

social and environmental justice across

California. Her commitment, leader-

ship and vision have influenced public

policy, municipal ordinances and state

laws reducing health risks to positively

affect the environment and improve

the quality of life throughout the state.

College of Engineeringalan Dulgeroff Alan Dulgeroff (’92, electrical engi-

neering), director of Electric System

Planning for San Diego Gas and

Electric, is known for his passion for

education and community service.

Currently a Campanile Foundation

Board member and an executive com-

mittee member and past president of

the SDSU Alumni Board of Advisors,

he is a mentor to both students and

professionals, serving on the National

Leadership Council and Electrical and

Computer Engineering and Career

Services Advisory Boards.

College of EducationJulianna Barnes Julianna Barnes, (’91 M.A. educational

counseling; ’10, Ed.D. leadership)

is president of Cuyamaca College

and was a member of the inaugural

student cohort of the College of

Education’s Educational Leadership

doctoral program. Holder of a black

belt in karate, she is known as a tire-

less advocate of student success and

as a positive role model of thoughtful

and inclusive leadership who offers

mentorship to SDSU students and

graduates through her involvement

with Ed.D. Alumni.

College of Arts and LettersvicTor Bianchini

Victor Bianchini (’60, political science),

retired Superior Court judge and U.S.

Magistrate judge currently recalled to

the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles,

is also a private mediator, arbitrator

and discovery referee. Retired as a

colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps with

24 military decorations, he has gained

acclaim as a national fencing cham-

pion and now volunteers for numerous

civic and veterans organizations while

serving on the College of Arts and

Letters Alumni Chapter Board.

The 45th SDSU Alumni Awards of Distinction, the signature event of SDSU Alumni, will honor 11 distinguished alumni and friends of the university at 6:00 p.m. Friday, September 14, at Coasterra on Harbor Island. A post-ceremony reception will follow.

SDSU Alumni Awards of Distinction are given to those who have made significant contributions to the university, the San Diego community or California, nationally or internationally. Distinguished service awards are presented to an exceptional alumni volunteer and an outstanding university employee.

2018 sDsu alumni Awards of Distinction


College of Professional Studiesand Fine ArtsDiane gage lofgren Diane Gage Lofgren (’76, journalism;

’81, M.S. pre-major journalism), a jour-

nalist, author and public relations pro-

fessional, recently retired as chief mar-

keting officer and senior vice president

for Sharp HealthCare. A fellow of the

Public Relations Society of America

and member of the Arthur W. Page

Society, she has served for many years

as a guest lecturer at SDSU, where she

has established an endowed scholar-

ship to benefit students in the School

of Journalism and Media Studies.

SDSU Imperial Valleyhelina hoyT

Helina Hoyt (’01 community health

nursing) pioneered the Imperial Valley

Campus RN-BS program that offers

community college nursing students

the unique opportunity to concur-

rently pursue and finish a bachelor’s

degree. Additionally, Hoyt has been

instrumental in bringing the SDSU

master of science in nursing program

to Imperial Valley as a means of help-

ing to meet the need for master’s-

trained nurses in Imperial County and

enhance the professional development

of local nurses.

Library and Information AccessJackie esTraDa

Jackie Estrada (’68, journalism) has

divided her career between textbook

editing and working for San Diego’s

Comic-Con International. One of a

handful of people who has attended

every Comic-Con, she served as

publications editor and, since 1990,

as administrator of the Will Eisner

Comic Industry Awards, the “Oscars”

of comics. She also taught copyediting

at UCSD Extension for many years

and co-founded the San Diego Pro-

fessional Editors’ Network (SD/PEN).

College of SciencesJo ann lane

Jo Ann Lane, Ph.D. (’74, mathematics;

’77, M.A. computer science) spent

more than 20 years at government

contractor SAIC before becoming

an instructor at SDSU where she has

shared her knowledge and experience

with students. Now a professor emer-

ita and a member of the Computer

Science Advisory Board at SDSU, she

created an endowed scholarship for

computer science majors and sup-

ports international students from

Africa and the Caribbean studying in

the colleges of Sciences, Engineering

and Health and Human Services.

Distinguished Alumni Service Awardmary curran

Mary Curran (’82, business adminis-

tration) is a financial services industry

executive and an independent director

with Hunter Industries and Banc of

California as well as a longtime vol-

unteer in the San Diego community.

Currently the chair of The Campanile

Foundation Board and Executive

Committee who helped bring the

university’s historic Campaign for

SDSU to a record-setting $815-million

conclusion, she is a past chair of the

California Bankers Association and

the San Diego Sports Commission.

Fowler College of Businessgreg foWler

Greg Fowler (’83, business adminis-

tration, finance) is managing partner

and founder of the real estate invest-

ment firm FPA Multifamily, where he

is responsible for the overall direction

of the firm and leads the acquisitions

and investor relations teams. A mem-

ber of The Campanile Foundation

Board Executive Committee, he also

serves on the board of directors of the

National Multifamily Housing Council

and the Investment Committee of the

Santa Barbara Museum of Art.


Distinguished University Service AwardJames kiTchen

James Kitchen, Ed.D., is an emeritus

vice president, having led SDSU’s

Division of Student Affairs from 2000-

2014. A Vietnam War combat veteran,

he has served as a mentor and an

inspiration to students and staff. He

continues to advise committees, staff

members and campus leaders as a

volunteer while remaining a tireless

advocate for students and a philan-

thropic supporter of several differ-

ent areas of the university including

student success, scholarship, athletics

and veterans.

In Memoriam__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1941 Julia Loudermilk; 1943 James Dall, Marjorie Reid; 1945 Charlotte Albrecht; 1946 Frank Bonham; 1948 George Claspill, Elizabeth Hamlin, Daniel Lewis, Karl Marshall, William McAllister; 1949 Macy Abrams, Audrey Elliott, Donald Madison, Tricia Martin.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1950 Thomas Ables, Julia Bain, Louis Black, Francis Williamson; 1951 Betty Birdsell, Charles Marsden, Benjamin McCann, David Noe; 1952 Gretchen Evans, Kenneth Larson, Robert Olson; 1953 Thelma Hankins, Maureen Nicholason, Gene Sieben, Edmund Thile; 1954 Roy Wayne; 1955 Roy Fields, Alfred Walker; 1956 Adelbart Banks, Howard Berg; 1957 James Cherry, Tommy Duncan, Philip Pittman; 1958 Walter Stump, Roy Woodward; 1959 Janet Hart, Chuck Luby, June Peskan, Kenneth Shier.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1960 Sheila DeWoskin, Robert Hanna, Robert Marikle, Brock Robertson; 1961 Donald Brown; 1963 Robert Gardner, Robert Shields; 1964 Louis Butler, Arnold Kloven Jr.; 1965 Ric Bethel, Charles Bradshaw, Alane Howarth, Durmot Killian, Emma Leisure, Patrick Long, Geraldine Macintyre, Mary Margaret Owen, Edward Robinson, Ann Ukena, Jerry Wellnitz; 1966 Gary Bransetter, David Belzer, Don Jackson, Mary Margaret Jackson, Patricia Kaiser, Elisa Merino, Michael Roehm, Walter Scales, Michael Skiles, John Yamamoto; 1967 Thomas Ault, Douglas Darnall, Glenn Embree, Catherine Evers, James Finch, Donald Franks, Jon Guthrie, Karen Hedrick, Joseph Koski, Gene Layser, Diana Medina, Clifford Phillips, Philip Taylor; 1968 Ronald Downing, Watson Fowler, Michael McLaughlin, Dorothy Norman, Rollie Wisbrock; 1969 Nancy Brandt, Vernon Cooper, Candace Dickard, Donald Ferrell, Elizabeth Lusk, Forrest McQuillen, Joseph Pinto, Melvin Ramsay Jr., Diane Riehl.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1970 Robert Canzoneri, Robert Slaughter, Bryan Smith, Thomas Valerius; 1971 Don Fago, Gloria Hammond, A. Powell Harrison, Eldredge Johnson, Gerald Lipscomb, Audrey Siler, Jane Sterett; 1972 Mary Blankemeier, Margaret Clerkin, William Dickens, Anthony Spillane, Sharon Stewart; 1973 Hoyl Belt, Marilyn Hamilton, Kenneth Hoag, John P. Johnson, Billy Lawrence, Byron Maki, Julie Reno, Alfredo Santiago, Chris Work; 1974 Michael Curren, Philip Freestone, Augustus Owens, Rosemarie Raifsnider, Peggy Rudnick, Phyllis Smith, William Starr, Rita Stender; 1975 David Denton, John Glasheen, Virginia Hill, George Karpati, Caroline Murguia, Rance Olison, Nancy Parker, William Rhyne, Francis Slater, Henry Washington, Stephen Zegler; 1976 Richard Bent, Marilyn Connolly, Patrick Conroy, Charles Crow, Lance Mirkin, Jeffrey Ritchie, Charles Sankey, Katherine Stocker, Mary Thibodo; 1977 Marion Barrera, Stephen Baxley, Cheryl Murdock, Douglas Raines, Lenora Rhodes, Gary Self, Thomas Suiter; 1978 Barbara Brautigam, Donald Campbell, Ronald Gorence, David Hollowell, Michael Landon, Jeffery Nicolaysen, Nancy Rhodes, Fred Stremler, Robin Zarider; 1979 Cristy Johnson, Steve Lion, Stephen Morris, Mark Putnam, Joseph Schwalbach, Alan Worthington.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1980 Carlene Befort, Jacques Brandais, Betty Carter, Mary Wolfe Hewitt, John Monsees; 1981 Amanda Dubois, Sharon Freeman, Nicholas Hernandez, Francis McCoy, Matthew Richardson, Elizabeth Smith, Juli Reed Woodson; 1982 Julie Larimore, Susan Medeiros, Anthony Smith, Faye Walsh; 1983 Paul Fuelling III, Jeanne Quenga, Stephen Simeone, Paula Tupper; 1984 Wayne Fisher; 1985 James Grier Jr.; 1986 Jeffrey Frederick, Michael Grossblatt, Cynthia Kronquist, Thomas Phillips II; 1987 J. Scott Schaller; 1988 Kevin Fellenzer, Lorraine Robinson, Kevin Woods; 1989 Donna Burr, Barbara Granger, Helen Leathlean.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1990 Joyce Dunne, Frances Espinoza, Layne Kulwin; 1991 Joel Montemayor; 1992 Barbara Cooper, Carol Redding; 1993 Harold Jennings Jr., Amy Kaufman, Kevin Murray; 1994 John Pecoraro, Cari Price-Cook, Dwayne Selman; 1995 Debra Thompson; 1996 Marcia Fahlen; 1997 Brian Jennings; 1998 Charles Ham, Adrienne Wood; 1999 Larry Emerson.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2000 Tori Carroll, Carole Larson; 2001 Sabrina Chase; 2002 Amy Wollensak; 2004 John Fox II; 2006 Blair Berkley; 2007 Erin Andrews, Emma Newman; 2009 Stephen Johnson, Amy Soos; 2014 Brian Caveney; 2016 Alanna McLeod.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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